La Vita E Bella
by tashasfic
Summary: Scott and Jean add their own bit to history.


La Vita E Bella  
  
by  
  
Tasha  
  
Disclaimer: The X-men aren't mine.  
  
Note: Some of the words may be in British English, while others may be in American English. I'm sorry if this causes any confusion.  
  
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It was at some point between preparing for yet another Senate Hearing and correcting an endless supply of the students exam papers, that the rest of the X-men came to a unanimous decision that Jean was working too hard. Despite her repeated protests that she wasn't overworked, and infact, liked keeping busy, the dark circles under her eyes, and frowns of concentration that permanently lined her forehead revealed another story entirely. It had come to the point where it was hardly uncommon to see her working in the med-lab with an energetic fervor till the early hours of the morning, or to see her typing away on her laptop till way past midnight. Between going to bed at two a.m. everyday, only to be back at her genetic research by six, had sparked off many protests from her boyfriend, all of which she silenced with a stern look and a speech on how she was 'at the most integral part of her speech' and how if she wasn't allowed to complete her research she would be letting an entire race of homo-superiors down.  
  
Finally, after all their repeated protests to take things easy were ignored by the red-haired doctor, 'Operation Relax' as it was dubbed by the students was formed, and it's first order of business was to ensure that Jean got a well-deserved break.  
  
It was eventually one Saturday, after a lot of conspiring, when Scott, with Ororo's help packed Jean's bags with enough clothes to last a fortnight, along with a smaller selection of his own clothes, and having loaded the array of luggage into the trunk of one of the school's many cars, turning a deaf ear to his girlfriend's complaints, forcibly escorted her to the back seat of the car, and were both driven to the airport by Bobby, who, having just got his license was willing to chauffeur anyone anywhere just for the chance to be able to be the one behind the wheel – something he, liked Scott, delighted in. Unfortunately for him, Jean, already upset at being drawn away from her work, took up a new occupation of back seat driver, with such vigor, that ultimately in absolute desperation the teenager stopped the car at the curb, and getting out, handed the keys to Scott.  
  
Twenty-two hours and fifteen minuets later, Scott, and an already more relaxed Jean, checked into their hotel in Rome, Italy.  
  
The apex of Italy's culture, and one of the most beautiful cities of the world, Rome has a certain charm which captures the undivided attention of most of its tourists, and Jean and Scott were no exception.  
  
They visited the various 'Duomos' throughout the city, and Jean excitedly made visits to as many art museums she could, where reveled in the works of the Renaissance masters, Michelangelo, da Vinci, and Raphael, to name a few. They sampled the tiramisus and tartufos of the restaurants scattered throughout the city, and even made a trip to the Vatican where they both looked in awe at the roof of the Sistine Chapel. The Piazza del Campidoglio, the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, they left nothing uncovered as they explored ancient Roman history with a renewed vigor each day.  
  
They were a week into their vacation, when they'd decided to take a break in their ardent sightseeing and spend the day enjoying some of the more relaxing aspects of the eternal city.  
  
Babington's Tea Rooms were opened in the late seventeenth century by two Englishwomen to be a purveyor of typically English breakfasts to homesick British exiles and tourists, and Jean, after consulting her guidebook, decided that it was an ideal place for them to have tea that afternoon, and had dragged Scott away from lounging on the lawns of the Borghese Garden - as he had been all morning, to enjoy an early tea of scalding hot Earl Grey, scones with jam and clotted cream, delectable muffins and cinnamon toast.  
  
Now, they sat side by side on the Spanish Steps, one of Rome's most prominent landmarks. Scott's arm was loosely draped around Jean's shoulder, and she sat leaning into his broad chest, her fingers intertwined with those of his free hand.  
  
The area wasn't very crowded, the majority of the Italians being at work at this time, and the few tourists and loiterers who hurried past them barely gave a second thought to them, seeing only, a tall, slightly awkward young man with a serious, yet handsome face, which was partially covered by a pair of ruby red shades, his square jaw and high cheek bones resting atop the head of a fiery red head, who was leaning against him, a contented smile on her face; but a few people with eyes which could read romances and pleasant histories everywhere, found something special about the young couple who sat apart in a world of their own, unconscious of the pretty picture of love they painted.  
  
"What is the history of these steps again?" Jean asked, finally breaking the silence which surrounded them both.  
  
"The French owners of Trinita dei Monti wanted to build this flight of steps to link the Church with Piazza di Spagna. They also wanted to build a statue of King Louis XIV at the top. The Pope wasn't exactly thrilled at the prospect of a statue of a French monarch in the Papal city....," Scott paused, his voice trailing off as he shifted his position so that he now sat slightly apart from his girlfriend, and then, taking her hand in his, he continued, "It has another historical importance, though."  
  
"What's that?" She asked, confused , trying to recollect what she might have read about this distinctive monument of the city, upon which she sat.  
  
"It's the very place where Scott Summers asked Jean Grey to marry him, and she said.....?" His voice trailed off once again as he looked up at her with a hopeful and yet nervous look on his face.  
  
There was a pregnant pause while Jean Grey looked into her boyfriend's eyes, finding them with no difficulty behind his opaque glasses.  
  
"She said, 'Yes.' I love you Scott," Jean answered a smile breaking over her face, as she leant towards her – now – fiancé and kissed him softly on the lips, before melting into his embrace.  
  
************************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- La Vita E Bella – is the title of an Italian movie by Robert Benigni, and means, "Life Is Beautiful." I have nothing to do with the movie or the title. I'm just borrowing it. It's not mine. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- **************************************************************************  
  
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